The Government is exploring several strategies to manage the debris left across several parishes in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. “We are examining all the options, including recycling, using wood chippers to reduce the wood, having a structured approach to the recovery of scrap metals and other such strategies to make sure that we can properly manage this debris. Objective...

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is leveraging advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to assess the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Melissa and to strengthen Jamaica’s preparedness for future weather events. During a recent JIS ‘Studio 58A’ live discussion, representatives from NEPA outlined the Agency’s ongoing assessment efforts and the critical role of technology in national recovery. Senior...

Community Relations Officer for the National Works Agency ( NWA) Western Office, Janel Ricketts, said the agency is working to repair a section of breakaway along the Sign main road in St. James. “The roadway connects commuters and residents from Sign to areas such as Lottery and Virgin Valley. A section of that corridor has been cut off, so persons...

WPM Waste Management Limited will be intensifying operations to remove waste from communities across St. James, including the mini dump sites for hurricane debris. “In the coming days, you will see an increase in the operations whereby additional tipper trucks [and backhoes] have been engaged to be deployed to clean all the dump sites,” said WPM Regional Operations Manager, Dramaine...

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is working with the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) to bring in additional resources, including 300 linesmen, to return electricity to the island at a quicker pace. “On the general trajectory, it could be as long as six months before electricity is returned to every community in Jamaica,” Dr. Holness...

Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, says Jamaica and its people can bounce back bigger and better from Hurricane Melissa, just as his country did after the catastrophic Hurricane Irma in 2017. “Across our small Caribbean nation, we stand with Jamaica. We are not new to hurricanes but we know they can be deeply disruptive. When we faced...

A coalition of international lending agencies have announced immediate commitments to assist Jamaica’s recovery effort, in the aftermath of category-five Hurricane Melissa. A tour of several affected communities in western Jamaica on November 17 highlighted the scale of devastation and ended with a coordinated response from regional and global partners, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Development Bank of...